McDonald’s Japan Seeks Mothers’ Approval

A day after Mother's Day in Japan and elsewhere, McDonald's Holdings (Japan) announced a plan to reach out to mothers across the country to convince them that its food is safe and healthy, and to seek ideas on how to regain the trust that was lost during a series of food-contamination incidents over the past year.

"I can tell you that my mom had very, very strict guidelines with which she looked at things when it came to me as a child," Chief Executive Sarah L. Casanova said. "I believe that would be true for everyone 's mom who is sitting in this room, because the most important thing to moms is to ensuring the health and safety of loved ones."

The outreach has been dubbed the "Mom's Eye Project." Ms. Casanova and other McDonald's officials, as well as broadcast writer and soon-to-be father Osamu Suzuki, will hold monthly meetings with mothers to exchange opinions and answer questions posted on its website and via Twitter. The first will be May 19.

The fast-food operator also plans to let mothers inspect some individual outlets, production sites, and farms and report their findings on the project's website as well as on social media or their own blogs. Some of the comments will be included in brochures and placed in McDonald's stores.

Ms. Casanova acknowledged the Japanese affiliate of the world's biggest fast-food chain lost many families and women as customers after the food-safety scandals, which included the discovery of a human tooth in a package of french fries. But she said her discussions with mothers at seven town meetings across the country gave her confidence that they would support McDonald's if they saw for themselves that its food is safe.

The project is slated to run through December but could be extended if the company finds it fruitful, she said.

McDonald's Holdings' monthly sales fell for a 15th consecutive month in April, and it has forecast a net loss of Y38 billion ($317.1 million) in 2015. Last month, it announced a restructuring plan which includes the revamping of about 2,000 of its restaurants over a four-year period, as well as early retirement for about 100 workers at its headquarters.